Preventing brocade weaving from fading away

Every evening, in a small house in Hamlet 12 Thong Nhat, Phuoc Son Commune, Dong Nai Province, Thị Sen (born in 1991, of the S’tiêng ethnic group) and her two daughters sit steadily at the loom, weaving traditional items such as blankets, shawls, scarves, loincloths, and cloth panels. She is making great efforts to preserve her people’s traditional craft amid the rapid pace of modern life, as brocade weaving is at risk of disappearing. For her, maintaining this craft is not only a way to create future livelihoods for villagers, but also a means of safeguarding the soul and cultural identity of the community.

In her spare time each day, Sen often teaches her daughters the art of brocade weaving.

Concerns over a traditional craft

Sen shared that in the past, S’tiêng women wove brocade from forest materials, particularly the bark of flax, ramie, and cotton plants. After collecting these materials from the forest, villagers would soak them in water and spin them into fine threads that were durable and richly colored. However, today forests have shrunk, and traditional raw materials have nearly disappeared. To keep the craft alive, Sen has had to replace them with wool and industrial yarn, which are easier to find, cheaper, and more suitable for market demand.

She expressed her concern: “There are more than 220 S’tiêng households in the hamlet, but only a few hands are still weaving the vibrant brocade fabrics. Most of them are elderly women whose health is declining. Poor eyesight, back pain, and tired knees prevent them from weaving regularly. Every year, a few more practitioners are lost. Meanwhile, most young S’tiêng people work as factory laborers in industrial zones. Very few remain devoted to this painstaking craft, which requires patience and hard work but brings lower income than factory jobs.”

In 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic forced everyone to stay home, Sen began thinking seriously about preserving brocade weaving. She proactively reached out to villagers through the social media platform Zalo, gathering them into a group and establishing a S’tiêng brocade weaving team. The group served both as a place for sharing information during the pandemic and as an informal class where women and children could learn the craft in their free time.

Sen recalled that during the lockdown, nearly every household wove brocade. The first images shared in the Zalo group created an enthusiastic and joyful atmosphere, motivating everyone to weave together. The oldest family members became the “keepers of the flame,” slowly guiding younger generations on how to spin thread and operate the loom. Conversations about brocade weaving became lively and continuous.

“When the Covid-19 pandemic ended and life returned to normal, the brocade weaving group was still operating, but on a smaller scale. That made me realize that this was not enough. For the craft to survive, there needs to be greater attention from the local authorities through well-planned investment. Most importantly, a community-based tourism model must be established to create a stable market for the products. It is also essential for young people to return with pride in their own ethnic culture, so that they will commit themselves to developing the economy while preserving the traditional craft,” Sen shared.

Establishing a weaving cooperative to preserve tradition

With deep concern over the gradual disappearance of traditional brocade weaving, for many years, Sen has worked to revive the craft movement in her village while also actively advising and proposing to the Party committee and local authorities of Phuoc Son Commune the project to establish a Brocade Weaving Cooperative Group.

Stiêng women in Hamlet 12, Thong Nhat Village, Phuoc Son Commune, Dong Nai Province, are making great efforts to preserve their traditional brocade weaving craft. Photo: Quang Minh.

Sen shared that, first of all, during festivals, Tet holidays, or commune-level conferences, she proactively suggests that members of the group display their brocade products, while also participating in cultural performances, in which the costumes are entirely made of brocade. This not only enhances spiritual life but also awakens pride in the traditional culture of the local Stiêng people. In addition, she actively encourages residents in other hamlets to follow this model, thereby spreading the brocade weaving movement throughout the commune.

Luc Duc Lap, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Phuoc Son Commune, explained that Phuoc Son was formed through the merger of three former communes of Bu Dang District, Binh Phuoc Province: Dang Ha, Thong Nhat, and Phuoc Son. The commune is now home to 19 ethnic groups, with ethnic minorities making up 63% of the population. Among them, the Stiêng are the indigenous ethnic group with a distinctive cultural identity and a long-standing brocade weaving tradition. With the rapid pace of social development and integration, the risk of this traditional craft fading away has become increasingly high. Therefore, the establishment of the Brocade Weaving Cooperative Group has received special attention from the local government.

“Brocade is our identity and pride as Stiêng people. As long as there is even one person preserving the craft, there is still hope; as long as there are dedicated individuals, the traditional craft still has a chance to grow. That is why every day, after my children finish school, I guide them in weaving and encourage other families in the hamlet to do the same. We will teach the younger generation about the value of our culture so that they can preserve and promote it. I hope that in the near future, weaving will thrive locally, creating products that contribute to improving both the material and spiritual lives of our people.”

— THI SEN, Deputy Head of the Women’s Union Branch, Hamlet 12, Thong Nhat Village, Phuoc Son Commune, Dong Nai Province

“We have directed the Department of Culture and Social Affairs to proactively coordinate with Sen and the villagers to fulfill the necessary conditions to consolidate the Brocade Weaving Cooperative Group. At the same time, product consumption linkages must be established, first with nearby restaurants, hotels, and surrounding areas, as well as with the Stiêng Ethnic Cultural Conservation Area in Soc Bom Bo, which welcomes many tourist groups. We are also planning to develop experiential tours of the craft village, combined with promoting, introducing, and selling brocade products. This will not only preserve and promote traditional cultural values but also create jobs and increase income for local people,” Lap affirmed.

By Quang Minh – Translated by Trieu Ngan, Thu Ha